Necropsy, also known as an autopsy, is a systematic examination of a horse's body after death to determine the cause of death and evaluate any disease or injury. This procedure involves a thorough assessment of the horse's organs and tissues, often including histopathological analysis to identify abnormalities at the microscopic level. Necropsy can provide valuable insights into equine health issues, contributing to a better understanding of disease processes, management practices, and potential preventive measures. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and implications of necropsy in equine veterinary science.
Andrade AC, Fonseca SMC, Silva Filho GB, Melo ET, Santos JRP, Frota MLSL, Duarte JMBS, Evêncio-Neto J, Brito LB, Lima TS, Wicpolt NS, Riet-Correa F....We report an outbreak of Crotalaria juncea intoxication in horses exhibiting progressive weight loss and respiratory distress in northeastern Brazil. Necropsy revealed firm, non-collapsed lungs with extensive interstitial fibrosis, bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia with club cells proliferation, and marked pulmonary arterial remodeling. Hepatic lesions consisted primarily of centrilobular necrosis, probably resulting from hypoxic injury related to anemia and prolonged agonic death. Pasture inspection identified significant invasion by shrubs of C. juncea in various phenological stages.
Petry S, Tapprest J, Maillard K, Barbut F, Duquesne F, Kozak S, Foucher N, Bernez-Romand M, Bridoux L, Poquet I. an anaerobic, spore-forming enteropathogen, is less studied in animals than in humans despite its importance in One Health. We evaluated occurrence, diversity, circulation, and virulence in French Equidae ( = 100) after their necropsy in northwestern France, from 2019 to 2021. We systematically recovered all cecal contents and any watery intestinal contents. We isolated strains, determined their toxin gene profile by PCR, and established their PCR-ribotype according to the WEBRIBO database. We also performed free toxin detection. Twenty-seven Equidae were positive for and 20 had a toxigeni...
Nowicka B, Łopuszyński W, Krajewska-Wędzina M, Biazik A, Sobuś M, Polkowska I, Szacawa E.Gastrointestinal mycobacteriosis in horses is difficult to diagnose because of the pathogen's intracellular nature and the non-specific clinical symptoms. Effective accurate diagnosis facilitates prognosis and treatment. Current diagnostic procedures and methods of collecting material do not permit definitive antemortem diagnosis. However, culturing, acid-fast bacilli staining, histopathology, PCR and immunological marker evaluation may prove useful. Unassigned: Three horses were admitted to a clinic for intensive care and a final diagnosis. Physical examination and additional tests were perfo...
Alonso FH, Hallum J, Arndt S.We report here a case of lipid-rich abdominal fluid in a 31-y-old Arabian gelding with acute colic. Abdominocentesis yielded opaque, yellow-to-orange peritoneal fluid with an elevated triglyceride concentration (42 g/L, RI: <0.10 g/L; fluid:serum triglyceride ratio 11.4, RI: <1.0). A second abdominocentesis performed 3 d later revealed clear fluid, suggesting transient chyloabdomen. Despite medical management, the horse developed respiratory distress secondary to pharyngeal edema and was euthanized. Autopsy identified a large omental lipoma and severe ulcerative gastritis, but no effusion....
Kyle-LaBell E, Andersson A, Baughman B.Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCE) was diagnosed in a 15-year-old pony mare by histopathologic examination of the spinal cord. The horse was euthanized and submitted for necropsy following focal seizures and lateral recumbency for approximately 12 h. Histopathology of spinal cord segments C5-C7 revealed severe ischemic myelomalacia with intravascular amorphous material that stained positive with Alcian Blue, consistent with cartilaginous matrix. These features in addition to the acute onset of clinical signs are characteristic for FCE. This case report describes the clinical and histo...
Harel B, Sévin C, Le Hello S, Moreau P, Giard JC, Petry S, Gravey F.Enterobacteriaceae are opportunistic pathogens responsible for local or systemic infections in both human and veterinary medicine. To monitor circulating strains in stud farms in Normandy (France), we investigated a collection of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from necropsied equids performed in the region between 1997 and 2020. These strains were initially identified using MALDI-TOF; however, as this method failed to identify some isolates, whole genome sequencing followed by rMLST analysis was subsequently performed. Different genera were identified: Enterobacter spp., Huaxiibacter spp., Lellio...
Ajiro S, Matsuya S, Hifumi T, Tsujio M.Arterial distribution to the tensor fasciae antebrachii (TFA) muscle is little described in the veterinary literature. In this study, we investigated TFA vascularity intra- and inter-specifically, using specimens obtained from dogs, cattle, pigs, and horses at necropsy. Canine TFA specimens showed vascularity from the collateral ulnar artery in all cases, and from the thoracodorsal artery in some cases, with no brachial or deep brachial arterial vascularity. Bovine TFA specimens showed vascularity from the thoracodorsal artery. All porcine TFA specimens showed deep brachial arterial vascularit...
Freeman DE, Smith B, Bauck AG, Denagamage T, Moyer EK, Chanutin S.To develop a modified stapled (MS) jejunocecostomy (JC) in healthy horses. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses underwent ventral midline celiotomy, a jejunal resection, and an MS. Methods: Time to complete anastomosis and anastomotic length at necropsy were recorded. Horses were assessed by physical examination every 6 h for 5 days after surgery, then once daily until euthanasia at 7 days. A group of seven horses that had a stapled side-to-side JC and were euthanized 28 days postoperatively was used as an historical control (SS). Results: All MS horse...
Cournoyer N, Hostnik ET, Urion R.A 1-month-old Arabian filly presented for central neurologic signs that developed shortly after birth. Hyperammonemia and elevated bile acids were identified, prompting abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) evaluation on suspicion of congenital portosystemic shunting (PSS). CTA revealed an anomalous vessel connecting the intrahepatic central divisional portal branch and caudal vena cava, with microhepatica and bilateral renomegaly. Necropsy confirmed a single, congenital, and intrahepatic central divisional portocaval shunt. Imaging literature addressing PSS in foals is sparse, with ...
Poci Palumbo MI, Maciel Cavalcante R, Martins Amorim R, De Vasconcelos Machado VM, Sousa Rocha N, Garcia Ribeiro M, Cagnini DQ, Secorun Borges A.Bacterial infection of the equine central nervous system is rare. This report describes the clinical features, computed tomography (CT) findings, and postmortem results of a 3-month-old female Quarter Horse with an intracranial abscess. Clinical signs included seizures, depression, and bilateral blindness. CT imaging demonstrated a large space-occupying lesion in the left cerebral hemisphere, associated with a frontal bone fracture. Necropsy and histopathology confirmed the presence of an abscess secondary to head trauma. Bacterial culture identified Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus as...
Celik F, Karabulut B, Uslug M, Cankaya E, Eroksuz Y, Simsek S. is a parasitic cestode primarily maintained within an equine-canine life cycle, with horses, donkeys, mules, and other ungulates serving as intermediate hosts. Although has historically been considered non-zoonotic, recent molecular studies suggest that this assumption may need to be reevaluated. This study aimed to investigate the presence and molecular characterization of in equids from Türkiye. A retrospective analysis of 52 equine necropsies performed between 2020 and 2025 identified hydatid cysts in one Arabian horse and two donkeys. Gross and histopathological examination confirmed t...
Souto EPF, Dantas VW, Oliveira AM, Garcia DS, Vilela VLR, Neto EGM, Mota RA, Dantas AFM.Strongylus vulgaris remains a significant cause of disease in equids, especially in regions with insufficient deworming practices. Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, pathological, and parasitological findings of vascular and extravascular lesions associated with S. vulgaris in equids. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on necropsy reports from equids examined at the Animal Pathology Laboratory, Federal University of Campina Grande (2000-2024), targeting cases of vascular lesions associated with S. vulgaris. Epidemiological, clinical, and pathological findings we...
Maeda Y, Kanno C, Sugiyama M, Yamamoto R, Sato S, Ando R, Noda R, Kawaguchi H, Takahashi F.A 17-year-old Thoroughbred stallion died suddenly after grazing. Necropsy revealed massive hemorrhage in the pericardial sac, suggesting cardiac tamponade. Aortic perforation was observed at the aortic origin, and hemorrhage was observed in and around the epicardium. Superficial observation of the aortic lumen revealed a transverse tear of the aortic wall at the bases of the right semilunar valve and septal semilunar valve. Fibro-osseous changes with calcification were histopathologically observed at the site of the rupture. A nodular goiter was observed in the left thyroid gland. The horse di...
Gravey F, Sévin C, Langlois B, Maillard K, Foucher N, Duquesne F, Léon A, Le Hello S, Petry S.Misidentifications as Klebsiella pneumoniae were observed during a French retrospective study of a necropsy-associated K. pneumoniae bacterial collection from horses. Accordingly, the present study aimed to further characterise the 12 Raoultella spp. and Klebsiella spp. strains involved in these misidentifications. The strains were identified and characterised using the Api 20E system, K. pneumoniae PCR detection, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and whole-genome sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by the disc diffusion method with...
Uprety T, Swan M, Kennedy L, Bryant U, Cassone L, Loynachan A, Janes J, Evely MM, Calvaruso FC, Quick M, Morgan J, Abdelrazek S, Lahmers K, Carter C....Clostridium piliforme is an obligate intracellular filamentous bacterium that causes Tyzzer disease (TD) in many animals. The disease manifests as severe, multifocal necrotizing hepatitis, with a high fatality rate in foals. Through retrospective investigation, we detected C. piliforme in 43 equine necropsy cases from 2012 to 2024. Positive cases were diagnosed from February to July, peaking in May. The age of affected foals ranged from 4 days to 2 months. Histologically, all cases had necrotizing hepatitis with multifocal, coalescing pinpoint, tan or reddish foci. Since only a partial 16S rRN...
Slavik K, Bender S, Sharkey L, Nolen-Walston R.Renal lipidosis is a well-documented histologic finding in humans and small animals with renal and metabolic disorders, but it is not well described in equids. Objective: To describe the signalment, clinicopathologic indices, and postmortem findings of equids with a histologic diagnosis of both hepatic and renal lipidosis (HL + RL) and compare them to cases with hepatic lipidosis only (HL). Methods: Equids with necropsy findings of renal or hepatic lipidosis (state diagnostic lab) between 2008 and 2022. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Signalment, history, necropsy diagnosis, and...
Macías-Rioseco M, Ochoa J, Choi EA, Blanchard P, Moeller RB, Uzal FA. spp. can cause gastroenteritis, hepatitis, bacteremia, and abortions in domestic animals and humans. Some spp. are zoonotic. To our knowledge, hepatitis caused by has not been reported in horses. Here we present a case of acute necrosuppurative hepatitis caused by infection in a 3-y-old gelding, and we review the literature on infections in various animal species. The horse had a one-week history of weight loss and weakness before becoming recumbent and dying. Grossly, the liver had rounded edges and was mottled. There were ecchymoses on the gastric serosa, and a large amount of mucoid, p...
Stricklin OE, McKenzie EC, Sriboonyapirat P, Russell DS, White CN.To determine whether Miniature Horse mares are predisposed to hemoperitoneum from nonneoplastic ovarian hemorrhage and report the clinical characteristics of this disorder. Methods: 51 equines with hemoperitoneum, including 22 nonminiature mares and 9 Miniature Horse mares, identified by searching medical records of a tertiary large animal hospital for confirmed hemoperitoneum cases between 2012 and 2023. Methods: Signs of hemoperitoneum in miniature mares included lethargy, inappetence, colic, tachycardia, and moderate to severe anemia (PCV ranging from 11% to 19%). Five miniature mares did n...
Oddsdóttir C, Sigurðardóttir ÓG, Friðriksdóttir V, Svansson V, Bragason BÞ, Björnsdóttir S.Cellulitis due to infection with clostridia has not been documented in horses in Iceland. However, clostridia are well-known pathogens in Icelandic sheep, which have traditionally shared grazing land with horses. Clostridial infections of equine muscle or subcutis following injection with medicinal products have been described in other countries but have never been reported in Iceland. In this case report, we present the first documented outbreak of subcutaneous clostridial infection in horses in Iceland following subcutaneous injection. Methods: In November 2022, 16 out of 32 horses, that som...
Kabir A, Kelley WG, Glover C, Erol E, Helmy YA.Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that poses a significant threat to global public health. It affects several animal species, including horses. Salmonella infections in horses can be either asymptomatic or cause severe clinical illness. Infections caused by Salmonella are presently controlled with antibiotics. Due to the formation of biofilms and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, the treatment has become more complicated. Our study focused on investigating the prevalence of Salmonella enterica in necropsied horses, assessing the capability for biofilm formation, and motility, determi...
Carvalho Serena G, Marchezan Piva M, Viezzer Bianchi M, Fernandes da Fonseca HC, Chitolina Pupin R, Martins Basso R, Secorun Borges A....In horses, systemic calcinosis is a rare syndrome characterised by muscle lesion associated with the mineralisation of large muscle groups or other organs, in the absence of an alternative cause for the calcification, such as toxic, enzootic or metabolic. Molecular and histopathological aspects of the disease are still poorly elucidated. Objective: To describe the epidemiological, pathological and molecular aspects of systemic calcinosis in a convenience sample of six horses submitted to necropsy in the Southern and Midwestern regions of Brazil. Methods: Retrospective exploratory study. Method...
Novotna T, Samonilova E, Klan J, Frgelecova L, Mala A, Svobodova Z, Drabkova Z.This case report describes the poisoning of two mares from the same paddock with Robinia pseudoacacia (Black locust) bark. The poisoning manifested itself by the sudden onset of weakness and fever with transient improvement after the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and fluids. After the initial stabilisation, the mares were left unattended overnight. One of them was found dead in the morning. The surviving mare developed colic and severe encephalopathy and had to be referred to the clinic. Blood tests revealed severe hyperammonaemia. After four days of symptomatic treat...
Hepworth-Warren KL, Goldsmith D, Tsoi M, Gerras A, Noll C, Pinn-Woodcock T, Moreira A, Penttila K, Ballou ME, Dembek KA, Valberg SJ.To describe the clinical findings, outcomes, and muscle histopathology in warmblood horses that developed severe rhabdomyolysis in the perianesthetic period despite remaining stable while under general anesthesia. Methods: 7 warmblood horses, 6 geldings and 1 mare, with a median age of 9 years (range, 4 to 18 years) and median weight of 615 kg (range, 550 to 703 kg). Records from the Valberg Neuromuscular Diagnostic Laboratory and Michigan State University were reviewed (2016 to 2023) to identify warmbloods with postanesthetic myopathy (PAM). Methods: Warmblood horses with no history of myopat...
Barton CK, True A, Fenn M, Thampi P, Watson A, Smanik LE.The objective of this Case Report was to describe the clinical manifestation and postmortem findings of a horse evaluated for recurrent colic diagnosed with pyloric aplasia and an ectopic duodenal papilla. Methods: 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Unassigned: The horse was presented to a referral center for signs of colic that were unresponsive to management on the farm. No abnormalities were noted on rectal palpation; however, upon passage of a nasogastric tube, 31 L of net gastric reflux was obtained. Gastroscopy noted grade IV squamous ulceration and moderate glandular ulceration, severe ...
Medina-Bolívar AL, Faleiros RR, Martínez-Aranzales JR.Limited information is available on gastric diseases in neonatal foals as compared with extensive studies in young, adult, and geriatric horses. Reports on fetuses are scarce. Objective: Assess at necropsy stomachs of horse, donkey and mule fetuses in the third trimester of gestation to characterize lesions present during intrauterine life. Methods: Forty-six fetal stomachs from both sexes (21 horses, 21 donkeys, and 4 mules) in the third trimester of gestation were collected from a processing plant immediately after slaughter. Methods: Measurements of longitudinal and transverse axes, weight ...
Lee J, Mordoh S, Mirza M, Carossino M, Del Piero F.An 18-y-old American Saddlebred mare was admitted with fever and acute onset of neurologic signs including grade 3 of 5 ataxia, difficulty in prehension, and dull mentation. Because of financial restraints, desired testing could not be performed; the horse's condition declined despite supportive treatment, and euthanasia was elected. Postmortem examination revealed petechiae and ecchymoses in the meninges and neuroparenchyma of the encephalon. Blast-like neoplastic round cells were identified within the vasculature and areas of hemorrhage in the neuroparenchyma, the intestinal submucosa, and o...
Ramsay L, Eberhardt C, Schoster A.Reports of leptospirosis in horses are limited. Objective: To describe the clinical and diagnostic findings of acute systemic leptospirosis in horses. Methods: Eleven client-owned horses presented to an equine hospital because of acute onset of disease between 2015 and 2023. Methods: Retrospective case series. Horses diagnosed with leptospirosis by 1 or more of urine PCR, serologic microscopic agglutination test (MAT), and histopathology. Results: Common clinical signs included lethargy (10), anorexia (10), fever (9), tachypnea (9), abnormal lung sounds (9), and epistaxis (6). Acute kidney inj...
Cuccato M, Bertuglia A, Divari S, Brambilla E, Grieco V, Bollo E, Scaglione FE.An aborted female foal was submitted for necropsy. During the gross examination, the ovaries were pale, grayish, and enlarged (6 × 5 cm), with a well-developed vascular structure surrounding the external surface; the cut surface of the ovaries showed a brownish parenchyma with white follicular areas mainly localized in the peripheral region. The ovaries were fixed for histological investigations. The histological evaluation of the ovaries showed polygonal-shaped cells with abundant cytoplasm and round or oval nuclei, arranged in cords of single cells. The tissue architecture was characterized...
Powers A, Peek SF, Reed S, Donnelly CG, Tinkler S, Gasper D, Woolard KD, Finno CJ.Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects young, genetically predisposed horses that are deficient in vitamin E. Equine NAD/EDM has not previously been documented in Gypsy Vanner horses (GVs). Objective: To evaluate: (1) the clinical phenotype, blood vitamin E concentrations before and after supplementation and pedigree in a cohort of GV horses with a high prevalence of neurologic disease suspicious for eNAD/EDM and (2) to confirm eNAD/EDM in GVs through postmortem evaluation. Methods: Twenty-six GVs from 1 fa...
Inglis ZE, Firshman AM, Lochner HL, Martinson KL.In recent years, the number of horses submitted for necropsy has been in decline. This study aimed to identify the perceptions and barriers of equine necropsy through an online survey of horse owners. The data were analyzed by multivariate models for associations and factors that influenced decision making regarding necropsy. The survey yielded 1,366 usable responses. Respondents had higher familiarity with the term "autopsy" compared to "necropsy" (P<0.001) and showed a greater level of comfort using the terms "body" and "mortality" compared to "carcass" (P<0.001). Most respondents (82%) had ...
Marasas WF, Kellerman TS, Gelderblom WC, Coetzer JA, Thiel PG, van der Lugt JJ.Each of two horses was dosed by stomach tube with culture material on maize of Fusarium moniliforme MRC 826. One horse developed severe hepatosis and mild oedema of the brain after 6 doses of 2.5 g of culture material/kg body mass/day in 7 days. The second horse, in a similar experiment but at a dosage rate of 1.25 g/kg/day, developed mild hepatosis and moderate oedema of the brain. In both animals the brain oedema was particularly noticeable in the medulla oblongata. The mycotoxin fumonisin B1 was extracted and purified from the culture material of F. moniliforme MRC, 826 which contained appr...
O'Sullivan JD, Allworth AM, Paterson DL, Snow TM, Boots R, Gleeson LJ, Gould AR, Hyatt AD, Bradfield J.In September, 1994, an outbreak of severe respiratory disease affected 18 horses, their trainer, and a stablehand in Queensland, Australia. Fourteen horses and one human being died. A novel virus was isolated from those affected and named equine morbillivirus (EMV). We report a case of encephalitis caused by this virus. Results: A 35-year-old man from Queensland had a brief aseptic meningitic illness in August, 1994, shortly after caring for two horses that died from EMV infection and then assisting at their necropsies. He then suffered severe encephalitis 13 months later, characterised by unc...
Williamson MM, Hooper PT, Selleck PW, Gleeson LJ, Daniels PW, Westbury HA, Murray PK.To determine the infectivity and transmissibility of Hendra virus (HeV). Methods: A disease transmission study using fruit bats, horses and cats. Methods: Eight grey-headed fruit bats (Pteropus poliocephalus) were inoculated and housed in contact with three uninfected bats and two uninfected horses. In a second experiment, four horses were inoculated by subcutaneous injection and intranasal inoculation and housed in contact with three uninfected horses and six uninfected cats. In a third experiment, 12 cats were inoculated and housed in contact with three uninfected horses. Two surviving horse...
Cantile C, Del Piero F, Di Guardo G, Arispici M.The pathologic and peroxidase immunohistochemical features of West Nile flavivirus (WNV) infection were compared in four horses from the northeastern United States and six horses from central Italy. In all 10 animals, there were mild to severe polioencephalomyelitis with small T lymphocyte and lesser macrophage perivascular infiltrate, multifocal glial nodules, neutrophils, and occasional neuronophagia. Perivascular hemorrhages, also noted macroscopically in two animals, were observed in 50% of the horses. In the four American horses, lesions extended from the basal nuclei through the brain st...
Johnson BJ, Stover SM, Daft BM, Kinde H, Read DH, Barr BC, Anderson M, Moore J, Woods L, Stoltz J.Necropsies were performed on 496 horses that had a fatal injury or illness at a California racetrack during the period February 20th 1990 to March 1st 1992. The primary cause of death was categorised by breed, activity at time of injury or illness and organ system affected. Most of the submissions were Thoroughbred horses (432) and Quarter Horses (46). Most of the injuries occurred while racing (42%) and in training sessions (39%); with fewer non-exercise (12%) and accident (7%) related injuries or illnesses. Musculoskeletal injuries accounted for 83% of the Thoroughbred and 80% of the Quarter...
MacAllister CG, Morgan SJ, Borne AT, Pollet RA.The relative toxicity of phenylbutazone, flunixin meglumine, and ketoprofen was studied in healthy adult horses. Sixteen horses were randomly assigned to receive 10 ml of physiologic saline solution, or ketoprofen (2.2 mg/kg of body weight), flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg), or phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg) IV, every 8 hours, for 12 days. Results of CBC, serum biochemical analyses, and fecal occult blood tests were monitored. On day 13, all horses were euthanatized and complete necropsy examinations were performed. Mean CBC values remained within normal limits for all groups. Phenylbutazone-treated...
Gawor JJ.The digestive tracts of 50 working horses from private farms in Poland were examined. Thirty-seven nematode species, two tapeworm species and one species of botfly were recovered. The most prevalent small strongyle species were Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cylicostephanus goldi, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cyathostomum coronatum, Cylicostephanus calicatus, Cylicocyclus leptostomus and Cylicostephanus minutus. Thirteen cyathostome species showed a site preference in the ventral colon, five in the dorsal colon and three in the caecum. One species, Cylicocyclus triramosus, wa...
Kapel CM, Webster P, Gamble HR.Only a few studies have compared the muscle distribution of the different Trichinella genotypes. In this study, data were obtained from a series of experimental infections in pigs, wild boars, foxes and horses, with the aim of evaluating the predilection sites of nine well-defined genotypes of Trichinella. Necropsy was performed at 5, 10, 20 and 40 weeks post inoculation. From all host species, corresponding muscles/muscle groups were examined by artificial digestion. In foxes where all Trichinella species established in high numbers, the encapsulating species were found primarily in the tongu...
Bellaw JL, Nielsen MK.Cyathostomins infect virtually all horses, and concomitant infections with 10 or more species per horse is standard. Species-specific knowledge is limited, despite potential species bias in development of disease and anthelmintic resistance. This is the first meta-analysis to examine effects of geographical region and cyathostomin collection method on reported composition of cyathostomin communities. Methods: Thirty-seven articles published in English in 1975 or later, in which adults of individual species were systematically enumerated, were included. Seven regions; North America, South Ameri...
Aleman M, Finno CJ, Higgins RJ, Puschner B, Gericota B, Gohil K, LeCouteur RA, Madigan JE.To describe epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features of neuroaxonal dystrophy in Quarter Horses (QHs) on a single farm. Methods: Prospective case series. Animals-148 horses. Methods: Neurologic, pathological, and toxicological evaluations were completed in selected neurologically affected horses over a 2-year period. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: 87 QHs and 1 QH-crossbred horse were affected. Most (50/88 [56.8%]) affected horses were 1 to 2 years old (median age, 2 years [range, 2 months to 34 years]). Neurologic deficits included obtundation (53/88 [60%]...
Reinemeyer CR, Smith SA, Gabel AA, Herd RP.Fifty-five adult horses were necropsied over a 15-month period, and their worm burdens counted and speciated. Twenty-one species of Cyathostominae were recovered. Ten species: Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cyathostomum coronatum, Cylicostephanus goldi, C. calicatus, C. minutus, Cylicocyclus leptostomus, C. insigne and Cyathostomum pateratum, comprised 98.9% of the total cyathostome burdens. These same 10 species also demonstrated high prevalences in 4 previous surveys. Eight of these 10 species have been shown to be resistant to benzimidazole ant...
Horn R, Bamford NJ, Afonso T, Sutherland M, Buckerfield J, Tan RHH, Secombe CJ, Stewart AJ, Bertin FR.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a commonly described endocrine disorder in higher latitudes of the Northern hemisphere but the description of the disease at lower latitudes and in the Southern hemisphere is limited. Objective: Document the clinical features of PPID at different Australian latitudes and climates, and investigate factors associated with survival, laminitis and insulin dysregulation (ID). Methods: Retrospective study of 274 equids from eight institutions across Australia. Methods: A diagnosis of PPID was based on endogenous ACTH, overnight dexamethasone suppressio...
Dugdale AH, Curtis GC, Harris PA, Argo CM.Evaluation of equine body fat content is important for nutritional and clinical purposes. However, our understanding of total body fat and its regional distribution in the body is sparse. Currently, body fat evaluation relies on the subjective assessment of body condition score (BCS), which has never been validated against 'gold standard' chemical analysis or dissection measurements in ponies. Objective: To define the relationships between subjective (BCS), objective (morphometric) indices of body fat and 'gold standard' measurements of actual body composition. Objective: BCS and morphometry o...
Burns EN, Bordbari MH, Mienaltowski MJ, Affolter VK, Barro MV, Gianino F, Gianino G, Giulotto E, Kalbfleisch TS, Katzman SA, Lassaline M, Leeb T....The Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) project aims to identify genomic regulatory elements in both sexes across multiple stages of development in domesticated animals. This study represents the first stage of the FAANG project for the horse, Equus caballus. A biobank of 80 tissue samples, two cell lines and six body fluids was created from two adult Thoroughbred mares. Ante-mortem assessments included full physical examinations, lameness, ophthalmologic and neurologic evaluations. Complete blood counts and serum biochemistries were also performed. At necropsy, in addition to tiss...
Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW.OBJECTIVE-To assess the clinical, biochemical, and histologic effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis (OA). ANIMALS-Twenty-four 2- to 3-year-old horses without evidence of lameness. PROCEDURES-OA was induced arthroscopically in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse. Fourteen days after induction of OA, horses were treated with a sham ESWT probe (placebo; n = 8), polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) administered IM every 4 days for 28 days as a positive control treatment (8), or ESWT administered on days 14 and 28...
Otranto D, Milillo P, Capelli G, Colwell DD.Horse gastrointestinal myiasis caused by larvae of Gasterophilus spp. (Diptera, Oestridae) flies has a worldwide distribution and, where present, it is primarily caused by larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis and Gasterophilus nasalis. Other species, i.e., Gasterophilus inermis, Gasterophilus pecorum and Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis, present in different or in the same regions of the gastrointestinal tract, were only occasionally reported in very limited areas of eastern European Countries and in central Italy. With the aim to contribute data on the species composition of Gasterophilus and on...
Chang YF, Ku YW, Chang CF, Chang CD, McDonough SP, Divers T, Pough M, Torres A.The objective of this study is to determine whether doxycycline, ceftiofur or tetracycline could be effectively used to treat equine Lyme disease. Ponies experimentally infected with Borrelia burgdorferi by tick exposure were treated with doxycycline, ceftiofur or tetracycline for 4 weeks (28 days). Doxycyline and ceftiofur treatment were inconsistent in eliminating persistent infection in this experimental model. However, tetracycline treatment seems to eliminate persistent infection. Although serum antibody levels to B. burgdorferi in all ponies declined gradually after antibiotic treatment,...
Nixon AJ, Rickey E, Butler TJ, Scimeca MS, Moran N, Matthews GL.Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has improved outcome in long-term studies of joint repair in man. However, ACI requires sutured periosteal flaps to secure the cells, which precludes minimally-invasive implantation, and introduces complications with arthrofibrosis and graft hypertrophy. This study evaluated ACI on a collagen type I/III scaffold (matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation; MACI(®)) in critical sized defects in the equine model. Methods: Chondrocytes were isolated from horses, expanded and seeded onto a collagen I/III membrane (ACI-Maix™) and implanted into o...
Bellaw JL, Krebs K, Reinemeyer CR, Norris JK, Scare JA, Pagano S, Nielsen MK.Cyathostomins are ubiquitous in grazing horses across the world, and anthelmintic resistance has been reported with increasing levels over past decades. The aims of the present study were (i) to investigate the efficacy against encysted larval stages of moxidectin (0.4 mg/kg) and fenbendazole (10 mg/kg daily for five consecutive days) and compare these regimens at 2 and 5 weeks post-treatment, (ii) to investigate individual cyathostomin species associated with shortened egg reappearance periods, and (iii) to document species exhibiting decreased susceptibility to the evaluated compounds....
Sundberg JP, Burnstein T, Page EH, Kirkham WW, Robinson FR.In a retrospective study of neoplasms in Equidae pre;ented to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue University, from Jan 1, 1970, to Dec 31, 1974, data were compiled on numbers and anatomic sites of neoplasms as well as on age, sex, and breed of subjects from which the neoplasms were taken. During this 5-year period, 21 neoplasms were diagnosed from 687 equine necropsies (3.1%) and 215 from 635 biopsies (33.9%), totaling 236 neoplasms from 1,322 cases (17.9%). The most common neoplasms were sarcoids (43.6%) and squamous cell carcinomas (24.6%). Papillomas (5.5%), nerve sheath tumors...
It is currently unknown if the intrathecal administration of a high dose of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is safe, how MSCs migrate throughout the vertebral canal after intrathecal administration, and whether MSCs are able to home to a site of injury. The aims of the study were: 1) to evaluate the safety of intrathecal injection of 100 million allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs); 2) to assess the distribution of ASCs after atlanto-occipital (AO) and lumbosacral (LS) injection in healthy horses; and 3) to determine if ASCs homed to the site of injury in neurologically diseased hor...
Hooper PT, Ketterer PJ, Hyatt AD, Russell GM.Laboratory examinations of equine morbillivirus included experimental reproductions of the disease caused by the virus by transmission of mixed lung and spleen taken from two field equine cases into two horses and by inoculating tissue culture virus into a further two horses. The most distinctive gross lesions of the diseases that developed in three of the horses was that of pulmonary edema characterized by gelatinous distension of subpleural lymphatics. Histologically, the lesions in the lungs were those of serofibrinous alveolar edema, alveolar macrophages, hemorrhage, thrombosis of capillar...
Chang YF, Novosol V, McDonough SP, Chang CF, Jacobson RH, Divers T, Quimby FW, Shin S, Lein DH.Seven specific-pathogen-free (SPF) ponies, 1-5 years old, were exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi-infected adult ticks while being treated with dexamethasone over 5 consecutive days. One SPF pony (pony No. 178) was first exposed to laboratory-reared nymphs without B. burgdorferi infection and 3 weeks later was exposed to B. burgdorferi-infected adult ticks with concurrent dexamethasone treatment for 5 consecutive days. Four uninfected ponies treated with dexamethasone, exposed to laboratory-reared ticks without B. burgdorferi infection served as uninfected controls. Clinical signs, bacteriologic ...
Collobert-Laugier C, Hoste H, Sevin C, Dorchies P.Forty-two horses from Normandy (France) were examined post-mortem for small strongyle infections from October to March. In the positive horses, total worm numbers ranged from 234 to 90,247 (mean 11,297). Encysted larvae represented the major part of the total cyathostome burdens with a high percentage (83%) being early third stage larvae. They were mostly recovered from the caecum (48%) and ventral colon (40%) and were less present in the dorsal colon (12%). Adult cyathostomes were mainly located in the ventral colon (64%) and less frequently in the dorsal colon (27%) and caecum (9%). Twenty s...
Sweeney CR, Sweeney RW, Divers TJ.Case records of 48 foals with pneumonia due to Rhodococcus equi were reviewed. Twenty of the 48 foals survived and 28 died or were euthanized. There was no significant difference between the survivors and non-survivors in the age of onset of illness, duration of illness prior to admission, the mean white blood cell (WBC) count, or the mean plasma fibrinogen content. All foals had R. equi isolated from a tracheobronchial aspirate or lung specimens obtained at necropsy. All organisms were susceptible in vitro (Kirby-Bauer) to erythromycin and gentamicin. Susceptibilities to other drugs were: tri...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS.Critical tests were carried out in 2008 in four yearling horses (H-2, H-4, H-10, and H-11) born and raised together on a farm (MC) in Central Kentucky. These horses were treated intraorally with ivermectin paste at the dose rate of 200 microg/kg. The main interest was to try and determine more precisely, from posttreatment (PT) worm count data, the current activity of ivermectin against small strongyles in a horse herd. These horses had been treated repeatedly with this compound and counts of small strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) of these parasites have been returning sooner than previ...
Levine JM, Scrivani PV, Divers TJ, Furr M, Mayhew IJ, Reed S, Levine GJ, Foreman JH, Boudreau C, Credille BC, Tennent-Brown B, Cohen ND.To compare signalment of horses with cervical vertebral malformation-malarticulation (CVM) with that of control horses and to describe results of clinical examination, diagnostic imaging and necropsy findings, and reported outcome in horses with CVM. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: 270 horses with CVM and 608 control horses admitted to 6 veterinary hospitals from 1992 through 2007. Methods: Medical records of participating hospitals were reviewed to identify horses with CVM (ie, case horses) and contemporaneous control (non-CVM-affected) horses that were admitted for treatm...
Sallé G, Guillot J, Tapprest J, Foucher N, Sevin C, Laugier C.Horses are infected by a wide range of parasite species that form complex communities. Parasite control imposes significant constraints on parasite communities whose monitoring remains, however, difficult to track through time. Postmortem examination is a reliable method to quantify parasite communities. Here, we compiled 1,673 necropsy reports accumulated over 29 years, in the reference necropsy centre from Normandy (France). The burden of non-strongylid species was quantified and the presence of strongylid species was noted. Details of horse deworming history and the cause of death were reg...
Forty seven working horses from Romania were post-mortem examined for small strongyles (Cyathostominae) infections. All horses were found infected. The overall cyathostomins intensity ranged from 390 to 13,010 and horses were infected by 8-24 species. The intensity was higher in ventral colon (1531) and dorsal colon (824), the lowest in the caecum (524). Twenty four species were identified. Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicocyclus insigne, and C. Nassatus had 100% of prevalence. Over 50% of horses were infected by Coronocyclus coronatus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, C. goldi, and C. longibursatus. O...
